Vacuum steam valve



8- l. GOLDBERG .VACUUM STEAM VALVE Filed June 30, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet l w m 4 H INVENTOR B Y Joan M ATTORNEY Oct. 11,1938. I. GOLDBERG 2,132,731

VACUUM STEAM VALVE Filed June so, 1937 Z Sheets-She et 2 I r, INVENTOR 3 I a/maigmmflb/ ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 11, 1938 I UNITED STATES PATENT": OFFICE Isaac Gold l::':?:i jl iz assignor to Master Steam Equipment Company, Los

Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Application June so, 1937, Serial No. 151,194 l 1 2 Claims.

My invention relates to that class of apparatus which is used in connection with garment pressing machines. In such machines the garment is pressed between two compression members, the

upper one being known as the head, and the lower one as the buck. In operating these machines the garment is placed between the two compression members, which are then closed and steam is applied through the head and buck, and to the garment through numerous small openings in said members. After sufficient steam heat has been applied to the garment, the head is raised and it is desirable to withdraw the steam and moisture from the garmentand provide for -the cooling and drying of the same. The purpose of my invention is to provide a connecting means for the admission of steam to the buck and more particularly to provide a mechanism which will withdraw the steam from the buck by means of a vacuum and also by the same means cause a flow of air through the garment and through the buck, for the cooling and drying of the garment.

I accomplish these objects by means of the 25 mechanism illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views. Figure 1 is a side elevation of the valve. Figure 2 is a plan view of the valve. 3 Figure 3 is a sectional plan View, taken on the line 33 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical central section of the valve.

- Figure 5 is a cross-section taken on the line 44 of Figure 4.

The construction of my device is as follows: I is the body of the valve which is divided into four chambers by suitable septa. At the bottom of the body is the steam inlet chamber 2, closed at its lower end by the plug 3 and having a septum 4, which has a valve-seat on its under side. Extending through the septum 4 is a port 5. Located within the chamber 2 is a valve 6 having a composition seating element 1. This valve has a stem 8, the said valve and stem being held in a normally closed position by the spring 9. The screw l0, holding the composition seat 1 in place, has a button on its upper side adapted to be actuated by a plunger II. This plunger l I is located in the intermediate chamber I2, and operated through a guide l3 in the upper septum 44 of the chamber l2. Adjacent to the intermediate chamber l2, and separated therefrom by the septum I4 is an ejector chamber I5. Located in the septum l4 isan ejector nozzle [6 connecting the intermediate and the ejector chambers. Opposite this ejector nozzle I6 is a Venturi tube ll,

which may be left open. on its outer end, or it may be connected to a delivery pipe [8 for the purpose of disposing of the exhaust steam. Through the wall IQ of the ejector chamber [5 is a port 20 which is normally closed by a poppet 5 valve 2!. Located above the said intermediate and ejector chambers is the valve operating chamber 22, having at its upper end a port 23, adapted to be connected to the buck of the machine. Pivoted on the shaft 24 is the floating lever or cam 25, which is adapted to contact the plunger II, and to operate same. Pivoted on the shaft 26 is a cam-lever 21, having one end adapted to contact the floating lever 25, and the other end loosely connected to the valve 2|. of the body I, and near the bottom of the device is a lever 29, which is hingedly mounted on a bracket 3!) which is secured to or integral with the said body. Between the jaws of the bracket 30 is a coiled spring 3| surrounding the hinge- The outwardly extended portion 33 of the lever 29 is attached to an operating rod 40, by means of the clevis 34. Also integral with the said lever 29 is an upwardly extending portion 35 which is connected to the lever 36 by means of the doubleclevis 31. The lever 36 is secured to the shaft 26. 30 Steam is admitted to the chamber 2 through the conduit 38 and the opening 39. 42 is a conduit connecting the port 4| with a source of steam supply for the admission of steam to the buck. This steam supply is controlled separately from the valve operating mechanism shown. A plug 43 closes the opening in the upper part of the chamber 22, the opening being required to permit the machining of the septum 44.

The operation of my device is as follows:

The garment to be pressed is placed on the buck of the pressing machine and the head closed down on same. Steam is then admitted to the buck by suitable controlling mechanism, this steam flowing through the conduit 42 and the port 4!, and'thence to the buck by means of the port 23 and the conduit 45. During this operation the valves 6 and 2| are closed and the entire mechanism of my device is inoperative except the use of the chamber 22 as a steam passage. When the garment has been sufliciently steamed by means of the steam passing thru the numerous perforations in the said buck, the steam is shut off and the pressure of the head and buck Outside c Venturi tube.

continued for a short time. Then, in order to remove the moisture from the garment a vacuum is required to draw the steam from the buck, and also to draw cool air through the garment and through the perforations in the buck, the head having been lifted while this vacuum is in effect. The method of producing this vacuum is as follows: The rod All being raised manually, or by any convenient means, the cam-lever '21 is actuated by means of the lever 35, the link 31 and the lever 36. lever 21 results in the lifting of the poppet valve 2| and the depression of the plunger ll, which in turn depresses and opens the valve 6. The camlever 21 does not bear directly on the top of the plunger II but presses on the intermediate camshaped floating lever 25, which in turn presses on the said plunger I I. The contour of the upper and lower surfaces of the floating lever 25 are such as to enable a smoother action than could have been attained by having the cam-lever 21 bear directly on the plunger II. This arrange ment also provides for multiplying the movement of the cam-lever 21, resulting in a greater and quicker opening of the valve 6 than could have otherwise been attained without the use of a much longer cam-lever. The opening of the valve 6 admits steam to the chamber 12 whence it flows through the ejector nozzle l6 and through the chamber I into and through the Venturi tube Ill. The velocity of the steam passing through the ejector nozzle and the Venturi tube creates a strong suction which Withdraws the steam from the buck, and while this flow of steam through the ejector nozzle 16 and the Venturi tube 11 continues it will draw air through the garment and through the perforations in'the buck, the steam and air from the buck flowing through the conduit 45, the chamber 22, the port 26, the chamber l5 and the Venturi tube 11.

The poppet valve 2| is important as it acts as .a'

check valve when the device is used for steaming the buck through port 4| and prevents the steam from entering the ejector chamber of the If it were not for this check-valve action steam would be wasted through the Ven turi tube whenever steam was admitted through the port 4|. a i

This movement of the cam- What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of; a body member including a steam inlet chamber, containing a steam inlet valve and a spring holding said'valve normally closed; an intermediate steam chamber containing a steam inlet valve plunger; an ejector chamber adjacent to said intermediate steam chamber, an ejector nozzle located in the septum between the said intermediate and said ejector chambers; a Venturi tube in the outer wall of the said ejector chamher and opposite to the said ejector nozzle; an operating chamber above said intermediate and said ejector chambers, a port between the said ejector chamber and said operating chamber, said port being normally closed by a poppet valve; a cam-lever in said operating chamber having one end adapted to open the said poppet valve, a

V floating lever under the cam-shaped end of the said cam-lever, said floating lever resting on the steam inlet valve plunger and When actuatedby the said cam-lever adapted to depress the said plunger and open the said steam inlet VQJVB.

2. in a device of the class described, the combination of a body member including a steam inlet chamber, containing a steam inlet valve and a spring holding said valve normally closed; an intermediate steam chamber containing a steam inletcvalve plunger; an ejector chamber adjacent to said intermediate steam chamber, an ejector nozzle located in the septum between the said intermediate and said ejector chambers; a Venturi tube in the outer wall of the said ejector chamber and opposite to the said ejector nozzle; an operating chamber above said intermediate and said ejector chambers, a port between the said ejector chamber and said operating chamber, said port. 

